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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who wrote "Nicolini and the Lions?"
(a) Seneca.
(b) Joseph Addison.
(c) Charles Lamb.
(d) Michel de Montaigne.

2. At what age did Montaigne begin writing?
(a) 25.
(b) 38.
(c) 12.
(d) 59.

3. What physical condition does Seneca discuss in a titular essay?
(a) Rickets.
(b) Asthma.
(c) Leprosy.
(d) Blindness.

4. What tragedy did Charles Lamb's family endure?
(a) Charles' father died from cancer.
(b) Charles' mother was killed by his sister.
(c) Charles' mother was arrested for armed robbery.
(d) Charles' father had an incestuous relationship with his sister.

5. Ou-Yank Hsiu is considered one of eight what?
(a) Masters of classical prose.
(b) Foreign diplomats.
(c) Famous outlaws.
(d) Master playwrights.

6. When was Ou-Yank Hsiu born?
(a) 1007 A.D.
(b) 1345 A.D.
(c) 208 A.D.
(d) 1113 B.C.

7. How did Montaigne's father treat Montaigne?
(a) He whipped him cruelly for minor offenses.
(b) He abandoned him, and Montaigne was raised by his grandparents mostly.
(c) He forced him to work in a linen factory at age 8.
(d) He indulged and spoiled him.

8. What attitude does Seneca have toward slaves in "Slaves?"
(a) He believes slaves are mostly superior to their masters.
(b) He believes slaves are dirty, and should not be let into the house.
(c) He believes slaves are clearly inferior to their masters.
(d) He believes masters and slaves are only separated by fortune.

9. Who wrote "An Hour or Two Sacred to Sorrow?"
(a) Abraham Cowley.
(b) Joseph Addison.
(c) Maria Edgeworth.
(d) Richard Steele.

10. Which is NOT one of the essays written by Ou-Yank Hsiu?
(a) "Farewell to Yang Shih"
(b) "Old Drunkard's Pavilion"
(c) "My Three Zithers"
(d) "Essays in Idleness"

11. To Plutarch, what is the greatest human bond?
(a) The relationship between emperor and citizen.
(b) Marriage.
(c) Friendship.
(d) The relationship between brother and sister.

12. What does a woman's level of attachment to a man depend upon, according to Sei Shonagon?
(a) The quality of gifts the man gives the woman.
(b) The way the man takes his leave of the woman.
(c) The elegance with which a man talks to the woman.
(d) The way a man smells.

13. How was Montaigne's first book received?
(a) It enjoyed a great deal of success.
(b) It was scorned, and vilified in the newspapers.
(c) It was largely ignored by the public.
(d) It was self-published, and only three people got to see it at the time.

14. On what subject is Sei Shonagon particularly frank?
(a) Her hatred for foreigners.
(b) The amount of her personal wealth.
(c) Her disease.
(d) Bedroom behavior.

15. What did Kenko become in 1324?
(a) An ambassador.
(b) A blacksmith.
(c) The emperor of Japan.
(d) A Buddhist monk.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is the subject of Chapter 2 in the book?

2. What is ironic about the Montaigne essay title, "Of a Monstrous Child?"?

3. Who wrote "On the Pleasure of Hating"?

4. Beyond the Monstrous Child, who else is discussed in "Of a Monstrous Child?"

5. Plutarch is known for his tenderness towards which group of people?

(see the answer keys)

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